RBCT Chapter 1: Ex-girlfriend's betrayal, post-apocalyptic beauty connection system.
Chapter 1: Ex-girlfriend's betrayal, post-apocalyptic beauty connection system.
Welcome to the road survival game! This journey has no end, so keep moving forward to survive!
The following are the game rules:
Rule 1: Men will start with a random vehicle, and women will start with random supplies.
[Rule 2: Players are invincible inside vehicles; only vehicles and monsters can attack them!]
[Rule 3: The car owner has absolute control over the vehicle; you are free to decide everything inside!]
[Rule 4: The fog will advance at a constant speed of 30 kilometers per hour... Being swallowed by the fog means certain death.]
[Rule 5: The road distance is unlimited, and resource blind boxes will refresh randomly every day... Resource blind boxes are limited, first come, first served.]
[Note: The data has been digitized; each player can see their own data panel.]
The regional chat room (Route 1024) is now open.
The gray fog is currently 30 kilometers away from the player. The game will officially start in one hour.
【Please freely combine all the "toys" and get ready to depart!】
The crimson words were reflected in the pupils of everyone on Earth!
……
……
The words, like living worms, burrowed into Cao Shuang's eyes and nailed into his mind, one by one.
The word "toy," with its undisguised malice and mockery, sent a chill down his spine.
Not a dream.
He pinched his thigh hard, and a sharp pain shot through him, but the scene before him and the phone screen remained unchanged.
It really isn't a dream.
Doomsday? Highway survival game? Are you kidding me!
He was just an ordinary college student about to graduate, who had to work tirelessly delivering food to please his girlfriend.
However, being a young man of the 21st century, Cao Shuang quickly accepted reality after complaining for a while!
"Right... vehicles?"
He immediately looked around. It was the driver's cab of a car, very... rudimentary.
The center console has a distinctly plastic feel, the gear lever is manual, the instrument panel is covered in scratches, and there's that familiar steering wheel logo—it's the Wuling Hongguang.
There was only one thing on the cockpit: a small booklet...
Doomsday Manual!
"Damn it..." Cao Shuang's vision went black, and he almost couldn't catch his breath.
This is his "starting vehicle"? No way!
With trembling hands, he tried to mentally invoke the "data panel" as instructed in the "announcement."
Sure enough, a semi-transparent interface with a rudimentary game style appeared in front of him:
Name: Cao Shuang
Vehicle: 08 Wuling Hongguang
[Level: 1]
Defense: 5 (normally 10)
[Space: 8 cubic meters]
External weapons: None
Fuel: 20%
[Rating: F. Selling it to the recycling center would cost you an extra 500 yuan. Perhaps it could become a bright spot in the gray fog? That is, if you can even drive it.]
"F...Defense 1...Fuel 20%..."
With each piece of data Cao Shuang read out, his heart sank a little lower.
This isn't just a bad start; this is starting with nothing but a dog, and all the equipment depends on... no, there isn't even a dog. It's a complete dead end!
He flung open the car door, trying to see outside. What he saw was an even more despairing sight.
His car was parked amidst what seemed like an endless stream of traffic, and as far as the eye could see, there were all sorts of bizarre and wonderful "vehicles".
There are tricycles and elderly mobility scooters just as shabby as his, as well as ordinary family cars and SUVs.
There were also some rather powerful-looking off-road vehicles and pickup trucks, and he even caught a glimpse of a gleaming, stylish sports car, as well as a massive, mobile fortress-like luxury RV.
Even more outrageous, in the distance, he seemed to see a... children's rocking horse? A burly man with a deathly pale face was sitting on it.
Absurd, chaotic, yet incredibly real.
Cao Shuang took a deep breath and forced herself to close the car door to block out some of the noise.
He clicked on the automatically appearing [Regional Channel 1024] icon, and instantly, a massive amount of information flooded in.
[Zhang San: Are you kidding me! How did it suddenly become the apocalypse? Is this some kind of massive VR reality show orchestrated by some bastard? Let me out! I want to go home!]
[Ye Fan: Hahaha! Great! The end of the world has come! Fortune changes every thirty years, never underestimate a young man's potential! My name, Ye Fan, represents everything! My era has finally arrived! (Attached: Screenshot of the vehicle 'Dongfeng Heavy Truck')]
[Li Si: Stop arguing! Let's analyze this calmly! The rules say men get vehicles, women get supplies—this clearly encourages, or even forces, us to team up! One person has a mobile fortress, the other has survival supplies; only by combining can we survive!]
[Wang Daqiang: Waaaaah... Can someone take me with them? I only have one bicycle, and I can't pedal it...]
[Zhao Kai: Looking for a team! I randomly got a C-class Land Rover! High defense, spacious! Looking for a girl with lots of supplies! High looks preferred! If you have a lot of supplies, looks can be less important!]
[Qian Duoduo: Hahaha, I'm a Class B luxury RV! It even comes with a small generator and water storage! Ladies, come look here!]
Information was flowing like crazy; some people were devastated, some were ecstatic, and many more were eagerly seeking combinations.
Cao Shuang quickly browsed through the chat logs, his heart sinking. The difference in vehicles was evident from the chat history: C-class, B-class, and even some claiming to be A-class.
He himself was at the bottom, an F.
What about the woman? He continued scrolling down.
[Su Hong: Is there an older brother who can help me? I have 10 servings of self-heating rice.]
[Zhou Xue: My supplies are okay, I have ten bottles of water and a few bags of biscuits. Are there any guys with a sturdy car? I'm scared...]
Some women also randomly received a bunch of supplies, and the difference in supplies was huge, from almost empty-handed to what could be called a small mobile supply point.
Just then, a familiar avatar and nickname popped up and posted in the announcement channel, attracting a lot of attention.
She sent a voice message, which Cao Shuang opened. Her voice, deliberately softened yet brimming with barely suppressed excitement and boastfulness, stood out clearly against the noisy background:
Wow, I think I'm pretty lucky! My starting supplies are 10 units of universal fuel, 50 bottles of mineral water, and 50 boxes of self-heating rice! Any good older brothers willing to take me along? I'm a very well-behaved person...
The comments section immediately erupted with a flurry of replies, some boasting about their vehicle levels, others sending photos and asking for contact information—it was a lively scene.
Cao Shuang looked at the profile picture and immediately recognized it as his girlfriend, Liu Ruyan.
She actually has such good starting supplies! 10 units of universal fuel, according to the doomsday manual... one unit can run 100 kilometers, ten units is 1,000 kilometers!
There's so much food and water!
In the midst of despair, it seemed as if a ray of dawn had appeared!
Yes, find Liu Ruyan! She's my girlfriend, she has so many supplies, and I have a car, albeit a beat-up one. Together, we can at least get by! She'll definitely wait for me!
Cao Shuang immediately found Liu Ruyan in the regional channel, clicked on private chat, and his fingers trembled slightly with excitement.
"Ruyan! It's me, Cao Shuang! Where are you? I've randomly gotten a car, let's team up! I'm coming to find you!" He typed quickly.
Sending a message, waiting—every second felt like an eternity.
A few seconds later, the reply came.
Liu Ruyan: "Cao Shuang? You're in too? What car did you get randomly? (Curious expression)"
Cao Shuang's heart tightened, but without thinking too much, he honestly replied, "A Wuling Hongguang van. It's a bit old, but it still works! Ruyan, tell me quickly where you are! This game is about to start, and we need to meet up with the gray fog as soon as possible!"
Another brief silence followed.
This time, Liu Ruyan's reply was a beat slower, and her tone seemed a bit indifferent: "A Wuling Hongguang..."
His fingers were icy cold, and an ominous premonition coiled around his heart like chilling vines. His fingers trembled, and he wanted to say something more, but his gaze was suddenly drawn to the scene not far outside the car window.
About ten meters to his right front, there was a silver-gray Ferrari sports car with a streamlined and aggressive design, which looked like an enlarged and modified version.
Standing beside her was a woman in a brightly colored dress with exquisite makeup—it was Liu Ruyan!
She was tilting her head back, smiling sweetly at the person in the driver's seat of the sports car. Her profile was the same smile Cao Shuang was familiar with, one that was both ingratiating and adoring.
The sports car door opened, and a man wearing a designer T-shirt, with a somewhat unkempt face and arrogant eyes, leaned out, casually took a bag from Liu Ruyan's hand, and then naturally put his other hand around Liu Ruyan's waist.
Liu Ruyan simply twisted slightly and obediently leaned closer, even tiptoeing to whisper something in the man's ear, which made the man laugh loudly.
It's Zhang Qiang! The rich second-generation Zhang Qiang who didn't get along with him in college and who flirted around with women because of his family's wealth!
Liu Ruyan seemed to notice Cao Shuang's gaze and immediately stopped acting.
"Cao Shuang, you've seen it too. We're not children anymore; we have to face reality. This game is cruel. Only strong alliances can survive. Zhang Qiang's car is a C-class Ferrari, fast and fuel-efficient. What do you have? A... Boss Wuling Hongguang."
"We're over. I hope you... can survive."
"By the way, considering we've been on good terms before, I'd advise you to find a girl with supplies to team up with as soon as possible, although... it might be a bit difficult. Goodbye."
Almost simultaneously, Zhang Qiang's grating, hoarse voice also rang out from more than ten meters away.
"Ruyan is with me now, so her supplies are naturally mine too. Don't even think about them. Just drive your precious car around slowly! See if you can pick up some junk that others don't want. Maybe that will give you a few more minutes to live!"
"By the way, Ruyan asked me to tell you that her relationship with you before was out of youthful ignorance, but she's woken up now. You're not good enough for her, not before, and you're even less good enough now! Face reality, you poor bastard!"
The unrestrained mockery was like a poisoned dagger, stabbing Cao Shuang in the heart again and again.
There seemed to be many eyes on us, filled with pity, sarcasm, or indifference.
Liu Ruyan nestled in Zhang Qiang's arms, not even glancing at Cao Shuang again, as if he were just an insignificant, eyesore of trash.
Cao Shuang gripped the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, and his teeth grinding together.
Just as his chest was about to burst from the pent-up rage, countless insane thoughts of mutual destruction flashed through his mind.
[Host detected to be in a post-apocalyptic game, experiencing significant emotional betrayal and survival crisis, meeting the conditions for extreme emotional binding...]
[Apocalyptic Beauty Collection Link System, in progress...]
[Binding successful!]